Day 5

The Epic of Gilgamesh Lesson Plan

Discussion of Thought Questions

1

Is Gilgamesh's fear of death surprising to you? Why or why not?

(5 minutes)

Gilgamesh's extreme fear of death may surprise the students, since Gilgamesh appears to be extraordinarily brave, and because his propensity toward violence and adventure-seeking does not indicate that he is particularly afraid of death.

Perhaps the author means to indicate that all humans, even the bravest of us, fear death. Or maybe the author is trying to show us how difficult it is for narcissistic Gilgamesh to accept that he is as vulnerable as any other human being.

2

How do Siduri, Urshanabi and Utanapishtum react to Gilgamesh's appearance? How is this different from earlier accounts of Gilgamesh's...